Microwave-assisted synthesis of CdS-reduced graphene oxide composites for photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI).

CdS-reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composites are successfully synthesized via the microwave-assisted reduction of graphite oxide in a CdS precursor solution using a microwave synthesis system. The photocatalytic performances of CdS-RGO composites in the reduction of Cr(VI) are investigated. The results show that CdS-RGO composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic performance for the reduction of Cr(VI) with a maximum removal rate of 92% under visible light irradiation as compared with pure CdS (79%) due to the increased light absorption intensity and the reduction of electron-hole pair recombination in CdS with the introduction of RGO. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011